This 1915, three-story reinforced concrete structure is the award-winning headquarters of KZF Design. The LEED Gold and ENERGY STAR® certified building is a showplace of innovative workplace and sustainable design for this architectural, engineering, interior design and urban planning firm.

Paul Hemmer Company assisted KZF Design Inc., a leading national full-service architecture, engineering, interior design and planning firm on the purchase and renovation of a three-story structure in Cincinnati’s Central Business District that now serves as its corporate headquarters.  KZF and Hemmer renovated and converted the classic turn-of-the-century office and manufacturing building into a sustainable workplace that ultimately received LEED Gold Certification.

Originally the home of the US Shoe Machinery Company, the entire 36,000 SF building was renovated and adapted into cutting-edge Architectural and Engineering design studios. Bathed in natural light, the voluminous spaces house the firm’s employees in a contemporary, open-office concept. The studio environment encourages creativity and staff recruitment and retention.

While the original structure of the building remains, the HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems as well as thermal envelope of the building are state-of-the-art.  A contemporary entrance and circulation elements provide visual clues to the new and exciting spaces contained within the historic shell. At the street-level, a high-visibility retail space helps enliven and animate the entire block.

A dormant skylight atop the three-story structure was renovated with the addition of energy-efficient glazing, increasing the available natural daylight to studio spaces. Work also included installation of new technology connections, A/V equipment, telecommunications systems, closed-circuit camera monitoring systems and access controls for 24/7 building security.